Stereum striatum is a crustose fungus that grows on dead wood, characterized by its effused-reflexed to pileate habit, zonate to multizonate appearance, and smooth, wavy to striated upper surface. In East and Central Texas, it typically fruits on deciduous logs and branches, especially those of oak and maple, from spring to fall. The fungus is relatively common in the region's wooded areas, including forests along streams and rivers, where it can be found growing singly or in small groups. Its fruiting bodies are generally 1-5 cm wide, 0.1-0.5 cm thick, and have a pale yellowish to grayish-brown color with lighter or darker zones. Microscopic features include cylindrical to subcylindrical basidia and ellipsoid to subglobose spores.
Bolete mushroom Gyroporus roseialbus or may be G. subalbellus together with Stereum striatum on Caney Creek section of Lone Star Hiking Trail in Sam Houston National Forest near Huntsville, Texas, July 13, 2018 Lone Star Hiking Trail, Montgomery, TX 77356, USA
Polypore mushrooms Stereum striatum on a fallen twig on Caney Creek section of Lone Star Hiking Trail in Sam Houston National Forest near Huntsville, Texas, July 13, 2018 Lone Star Hiking Trail, Montgomery, TX 77356, USA
Underside of polypore mushrooms Stereum striatum on a fallen twig on Caney Creek section of Lone Star Hiking Trail in Sam Houston National Forest near Huntsville, Texas, July 13, 2018 Lone Star Hiking Trail, Montgomery, TX 77356, USA
Mushrooms Stereum striatum on a fallen twig on Winters Bayou Trail in Sam Houston National Forest. Cleveland, Texas, September 28, 2019 Lone Star Hiking Trail, Cleveland, TX 77328, USA
Underside of mushrooms Stereum striatum on a fallen twig on Winters Bayou Trail in Sam Houston National Forest. Cleveland, Texas, September 28, 2019 Lone Star Hiking Trail, Cleveland, TX 77328, USA
Underside of mushrooms Stereum striatum on a fallen twig in Big Creek Scenic Area of Sam Houston National Forest. Shepherd, Texas, October 11, 2020 Lone Star Hiking Trail, Coldspring, TX 77331, USA
Underside of mushrooms Stereum striatum in Big Creek Scenic Area of Sam Houston National Forest. Shepherd, Texas, October 11, 2020 Lone Star Hiking Trail, Coldspring, TX 77331, USA
Silky parchment mushrooms (Stereum striatum) on dry twigs on Winters Bayou Trail in Sam Houston National Forest. Cleveland, Texas, September 18, 2021 Lone Star Hiking Trail, Cleveland, TX 77328, USA
Silky Parchment fungus (Stereum striatum) on a twig near Pole Creek on North Wilderness Trail of Little Lake Creek Wilderness in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, August 31, 2022 Lone Star Hiking Trail, Montgomery County, Texas, United States
AI-generated summary of observations
Observations of Stereum striatum in East and Central Texas show the fungus grows on fallen twigs in various locations within Sam Houston National Forest. On July 13, 2018, it was found on Caney Creek section of Lone Star Hiking Trail near Huntsville, alongside a bolete mushroom. Similar sightings occurred on Winters Bayou Trail near Cleveland on September 28, 2019, and Big Creek Scenic Area near Shepherd on October 11, 2020. The fungus was also spotted on dry twigs on Winters Bayou Trail on September 18, 2021, and near Pole Creek on North Wilderness Trail of Little Lake Creek Wilderness on August 31, 2022. In all cases, Stereum striatum exhibited its characteristic silky parchment appearance, often growing on the underside of fallen twigs. These observations suggest that the fungus is widely distributed in the region, thriving in forest environments.